Saints 7-Round Mock Draft: NOLA addresses offensive needs early on

Round 3: Pick 102 – Desmond Ridder, QB (Cincinnati)

This isn’t a good offseason to need a quarterback, unfortunately, so the Saints bided their time and waited to see if a quarterback would fall to them in this mock draft. Surprisingly, they were able to get Desmond Ridder late in the third round and the Bearcat could be a good fit in Payton’s offense.

Ridder is a four-year starter at Cincinnati and has played a pivotal role in the Bearcats currently sitting in the College Football Playoff picture. This season, Ridder has thrown for 3,000 yards, 27 touchdowns, and eight interceptions while dashing for 342 yards and another six touchdowns. The guy is a cheat code.

While Ridder probably isn’t a good bet to start for the Saints in 2022, drafting him is still a wise choice, as he could sit and learn on the sidelines and be ready to go for the 2023 season. Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill could mentor him as a rookie and as we saw with Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City, that tends to work out well.

Ridder would be an excellent addition to the Saints’ offense.